Porti, Minister Tajani: “La Spezia, Santo Stefano di Magra and the surrounding area, a national reference model”

On the occasion of the conference “Under the sign of the port” the Vice-President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Honourable Antonio Tajaniunable to intervene because he was busy at the meeting of foreign ministers at the G7 in Capri, made a point of sending a letter to the Port System Authority of the Eastern Ligurian Sea, organizer of the conference.

The minister underlined how complex the international framework is, with heavy repercussions on global connectivity and confirmed “how the sea, maritime traffic and ports are not only at the center of Government action, especially in the current international geopolitical framework, but represent a strategic asset on whose defense and support Italy cannot afford to let its guard down”.

“Ports – stated Tajani, recognizing that La Spezia and its port and logistics system play an absolutely leading role – are in fact much more than equipped docks and warehouses. They are a living system, of which the inland territories and the connected production chains are an integral part. La Spezia, together with Santo Stefano di Magra and the surrounding area, is a national reference model that has been able to synergistically develop its production capabilities: from logistics to civil and military shipbuilding, pleasure boats, cruises and tourism, up to the recent creation of the national underwater hub”.

In the message, Tajani underlines how the Government is at the forefront of the European and international response, “because ports, transport and logistics play a key role in the economic and productive development of the country. A crucial competitiveness factor for the over 4 million small and medium-sized enterprises which, together with our large groups, enrich our production fabric, and which make Italy the second largest manufacturing sector in Europe”.

Efficiency, digitalisation, innovation, sustainability, intermodality were the themes at the center of the debate of “Under the sign of the port”. And Tajani stated that the Government intends to continue investing in these sectors. With the desire to remind the Commission of the critical issues of some regulations, insisting that the maritime industry be recognized in Europe as a strategic sector to which specific dedicated policies should be allocated.

The messages contained in Minister Tajani’s letter and the recognition of the role of La Spezia, Santo Stefano Magra and the surrounding area as a national reference model, reinforce the contents expressed by the speakers and participants at the conference in La Spezia, optimistic but also worried about the future of Italian ports at this particular moment.